Boys will be boys

"The Great Schooner Race off Camden," oil on canvasboard, 12X9, by Carol L. Douglas

“The Great Schooner Race off Camden,” oil on canvasboard, 12X9, by Carol L. Douglas

Last Friday I took my family to Mt. Battie. Aaron loves climbing on rocks and has the scars to prove it. Laura was content to sit quietly and draw with me. The middle-aged people could fend for themselves. Dwight, the youngest, tends to be cautious, so I seldom worry about him.

Painting on Mt. Battie with my daughter.

Painting on Mt. Battie with my daughter.

I was rather surprised, therefore, to see him inching his way down the slope ahead of me. I know there are rocky cliffs on Mt. Battie; I can see them from the harbor. “Dwight, back away from the edge; it’s not safe,” I said.

“Cool it, Mom, I’ve got this.”

Sometimes, young men seem to have the common-sense switch turned off. It is a great goad to an active prayer life on the part of their parents.

Those rocky parts up on Mt. Battie are the parts you don't want to fall off, kids.  "Mt. Battie from Camden Harbor," 10X8, oil on linen, by Carol L. Douglas

Those rocky parts up on Mt. Battie are the parts you don’t want to fall over. “Mt. Battie from Camden Harbor,” 10X8, oil on linen, by Carol L. Douglas

Thursday was the Great Schooner Race out of Camden Harbor. It is always a joy to watch the schooners from this aerie high up on the mountain. This was like painting elephants line-dancing; there was no chance the boats were going to escape my line of sight.  We chatted and I painted, and then I ran home to frame it in case any of the schooner guests wanted a memento of their vacation.

Sometimes when driving in mid-coast Maine the only sensible course of action is to put your car in park, roll down the window and enjoy the passing scene. This happened on Bayview Street as I drove back to Camden. A police officer attempted to block the street, but drivers were slipping through the cones and pedestrians completely ignored her. I eventually managed to get down to the public landing.

At Camden Falls Gallery, I caught up with my friend Eileen. When I eventually left, I was stopped by the police. Turns out that a suspicious package was found near the Camden Post Office. Bayview Street was closed to all traffic, vehicular and pedestrian.

Showdown on Bayview Street. That's the Maine State Bomb Squad truck.

Showdown on Bayview Street. That’s the Maine State Bomb Squad truck.

“If you can drive up onto the sidewalk, you can probably get around my squad car,” the officer told me. No problem. My Prius has done a lot of miles in New Jersey, and it handles curb-jumping with the best of them.

After three hours, the Maine State Bomb Squad detonated the package, which turned out to be a backpack left by a Camden man who’d forgotten about it.

I bet somewhere his mother is shaking her head.

All this talk about Camden Hills State Park reminds me: why do people take their houseplants camping?

All this talk about Camden Hills State Park reminds me: why do people take their houseplants camping?

Let me know if you’re interested in painting with me on the Schoodic Peninsula in beautiful Acadia National Park in August 2015. Click here for more information on my Maine workshops! Download a brochure here.

Carol Douglas

About Carol Douglas

Carol L. Douglas is a painter who lives, works and teaches in Rockport, ME. Her annual workshop will again be held on the Schoodic Peninsula in beautiful Acadia National Park, from August 6-11, 2017. Visit www.watch-me-paint.com/ for more information.